1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clutch disk of a friction clutch engaging and disengaging a power transmission of a vehicle, a ship, or the like, and more particularly to a clutch disk having a plurality of dampers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
So far, dampers 600 employed in a conventional clutch disk have been including a rubber-like elastic member 601 illustrated in FIG. 5. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the dampers 600 include the rubber-like elastic member 601 having a cylindrical shape and sheet members 602 engaging with or being adhered to the both ends of the rubber-like elastic member 601.
When the conventional clutch disk operates and a rotational moment is exerted on the dampers of the conventional clutch disk, the rubber-like elastic members 601 of the dampers 600 deform or swell heavily at a central portion thereof as illustrated in FIG. 6. As a result, there is a fear that the deformed or swollen rubber-like elastic members 601 might interfere with a flange of a clutch hub (not shown in FIG. 6) or first and second side plates (not shown in FIG. 6) disposed over the both surfaces of the flange of the clutch hub. The sheet members 602 of the dampers 600 should accordingly be enlarged in radial directions in order to inhibit the deformed or swollen rubber-like elastic members 601 from interfering with the flange of the clutch hub or the first and second side plates. Consequently, there arises a problem resulting in a clutch disk enlarging in an axial direction.
In addition, when the clutch disk of the prior art operates, the rubber-like elastic members 601 of the dampers 600 have swollen as described above, and accordingly tensile stresses concentrate on the outer peripheral portion of the rubber-like elastic members 601 of the dampers 600. Namely, since the outer peripheral portion of the rubber-like elastic members 601 deforms more than the inner peripheral portion thereof does, the tensile stresses have concentrated on the outer peripheral portion thereof. Hence, cracks are liable to occur on the outer peripheral portion of the rubber-like elastic members 601 of the dampers 600. In particular, since the both ends of the outer peripheral portion of the rubber-like elastic members 601 are engaged with or adhered to the sheet members 602, the rubber-like elastic members 601 are liable to come off the sheet members 602 at the both ends of the outer peripheral portion thereof when the tensile stresses are concentrated on the both ends of of the outer peripheral portion of the rubber-like elastic members 601.